"Beasts of the Southern Wild," which was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture, will be screened as part of the Avon Theatre's 007 Red Carpet Festival on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 11 a.m.

"Beasts of the Southern Wild," which was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture, will be screened as part of the Avon Theatre's 007 Red Carpet Festival on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 11 a.m.

Photo: Contributed Photo

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"Chasing Ice," which received one nomination at the Academy Awards (Best Original Song), will be screened as part of the Avon Theatre's 007 Red Carpet Festival on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 11 a.m.

"Chasing Ice," which received one nomination at the Academy Awards (Best Original Song), will be screened as part of the Avon Theatre's 007 Red Carpet Festival on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 11 a.m.

Photo: Contributed Photo

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"Paranorman," which was nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards, will be screened as part of the Avon Theatre's 007 Red Carpet Festival on Saturday, Feb. 16 at 11 a.m.

"Paranorman," which was nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards, will be screened as part of the Avon Theatre's 007 Red Carpet Festival on Saturday, Feb. 16 at 11 a.m.

Photo: Contributed Photo

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Avon hosts Oscar cram session, gala fundraiser

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The Academy Awards are only a few short weeks away, so why not study up for the biggest night in Hollywood with a look at some of this year's big screen contenders?

The Avon Theatre will host an Academy Award cram session in February, screening "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Chasing Ice" and a bevy of other Oscar-nominated flicks in the run up to its Academy Awards telecast on Sunday, Feb. 24.

The Avon's 007 Red Carpet Festival kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 2, with a showing of live action Oscar-nominated shorts, followed by a screening of animated shorts on Sunday, Feb. 3. (Catch an encore of both compilations on Wednesday, Feb. 13.)

The series continues with "Chasing Ice" on Sunday, Feb. 10, "Paranorman" on Saturday, Feb. 16, "Beasts of the Southern Wild" on Sunday, Feb. 17, "Prometheus" on Saturday, Feb. 23 and "Searching For Sugar Man" on Sunday, Feb. 24.

Adam Birnnbaum, Avon director of film programming, is a fan of most of this year's Oscar nominees, but he's making his "biggest push" for the shorts programs.

"They're all very ingenious creations and there's something for everybody," Birnbaum said of the films. "You'll walk away from at least one short blown away by how good it is."

Here's a look at the movies on tap for the monthlong festival:

"Chasing Ice" -- Jeff Orlowski's documentary chronicles the efforts of photographer James Balog and his Extreme Ice Survey to publicize the effects of climate change. In addition to its stunning visuals and thought-provoking narrative, the film boasts an Oscar nod for Best Original Song ("Before My Time," written by J. Ralph and sung by Scarlett Johansson).

"Paranorman" -- This nominee for Best Animated Feature tells the heartfelt horror story of a boy who can talk to the dead. Casey Affleck, Tempestt Bledsoe and Jeff Garlin lend their voices to the film, which was produced by Laika, a stop-motion animation studio that is also responsible for 2009's "Caroline."

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" -- Nominated for a whopping four Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Director), Benh Zeitlin's fantasy drama earned high praise despite being made on a shoestring budget and starring a first-time actress, the dazzling Quvenzhane Wallis (also a Best Actress nominee).

"Searching For Sugar Man" -- Malik Bendjelloul's documentary details the efforts of two Cape Town fans, Stephen "Sugar" Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom, to find out if the rumored death of American musician Sixto Rodriguez was true, and, if not, to discover what had become of him.

Red Carpet Gala

Supporters of the Avon Theatre will enjoy an evening of dinner and dancing to Alex Donner Orchestra when the downtown cinema hosts its 007 Red Carpet Gala at the Delamar Greenwich Harbor, 500 Steamboat Road, on Saturday, Feb. 2.

All gala-patron-level guests also will receive a free ticket to the Avon's Oscar Night Party and a free pass to the Oscar-Nominated Film Festival.

"As a nonprofit, the gala and our Oscar night are of the utmost importance," said Birnbaum. "It's an opportunity for members of the community to come out and show support for our organization."